I heard an intense explosion. Not sure what kind of weapon it was but it me and I was probably 2.5 miles away. I took a picture of the smoke it created. Originally, Peak 3465 was the featured hike for today but wasn't feelin it and decided to do this one instead. I also scoped out another one for a future trip. Lots of yellow on the ridgeline.

It was 37 at the TH and probably 20 MPH sustained winds with 35 MPH gusts. Felt good to get out as I've been in a rut. Was a little bit of ice on parts of the trail and you could tell the trail had been frozen at times. After hitting 2191 I took the trail toward 3465 for a bit then turned around. No 3465 summit today.

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"It's not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves"
"HAZ is not a meet-up group. Unless you're in the IN group, then its a meet-up group"

At the TH by 0615 waiting for the sun to come up, listening to the coyotes howling like crazy, then the burros braying from the Lake Pleasant side of the road. Took the trail just past Cottonwood Creek and then started to bushwack up the hill. Picked up a trail, some cairns, then lost it, closer to the saddle picked it up again. There is a trail here after all! Made the saddle and then bushwacked up the rest of the way to the rocky summit. Could hear voices down below but couldn't get a visual. Headed back down, looking for the main trail, don't think I ever found it. Just headed east towards the lake but ended up just north of the culvert. Lots of trails in here to lose yourself in.

Hiked up to the Western flank and found a nice spot to sit and enjoy the-quiet. Ended up cruising down and exploring the northern most area along the ravine. After returning to the saddle, I headed back down and went over to Cottonwood creek and continued my explorations.

This peak is just North of the parking area for the Walking Jim, Little Jim and Big Jim trails. I winged it on the way up (off trail) and on the way down caught a nice game trail and eventually saw some cairns and met up with the Big Jim trail. I reinforced some of the cairns on the way down too. This is a geology and flora rich area, with a lot of lichen covered rocks and superior Saguaros to see. Hopefully I can explore these mountains more in depth this Winter.

With a big monsoon rolling in, I headed out to Cottonwood Creek with the idea of getting some great sunset storm shots. At the parking lot, I set my sights on climbing up to a small peak (marked 2191 on the TOPO). As I crossed the dry wash, I stopped to take a snapshot of a saguaro and realized that I left my memory card in the computer. Yeah, I know, amateur mistake...hopefully it won't ever happen again. Continued on with my focus on enjoying the hike without any distraction, which worked out well, even though I missed out on some potentially killer shots. I really like this area: easy access, empty land, unique terrain. Wintertime will allows me to explore the Hieroglyphics substantially, I think.

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.